Conventionally, there is a technique of changing a background, such as topography or the like, in a game space so as to enhance the sense of realism of a game. For example, when a player character which is a giant robot hits a building, it is displayed that the building collapses, or when the giant robot lands from a high position to a road, it is displayed that the road at its feet becomes dented, thereby enhancing the sense of realism or the reality of a game (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-224849). There is also a technique of displaying an image of topography having a shape which varies in units of several frames, so as to represent vertically undulating topography, in a horizontal scroll shooting game (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-53572).
However, regarding a change in a background disclosed in the above-described patent documents, a background object, such as topography or the like, is changed by a player operating a player character. In other words, it is not that the player directly designates a background object, such as topography or the like, and changes a shape thereof.
Therefore, a feature of certain exemplary embodiments is to provide a recording medium recording a game program in which a player is caused to directly designate a topographic object, and change a shape thereof at the designated position so that the object is moved, and a game system and a game apparatus.
The certain exemplary embodiments described herein have the following features. Note that reference numerals, additional descriptions and the like inside parentheses in this section indicate correspondence to embodiments described below for the sake of easy understanding, and do not restrict the certain exemplary embodiments described herein.
A first exemplary embodiment relates to a recording medium recording a game program which is executed by a computer in a game apparatus to which a display device and an operation device are connected, wherein a game image in which a topographic object and a movable object are provided in a virtual game space is displayed on a screen of the display device. The game program comprises a designated position detecting step (S32), a shape changing step (S37, S39), and a movable object controlling step (S4, S6, S8). The designated position detecting step detects a designated position of the topographic object designated by the operation device. The shape changing step changes a shape of topography at the detected designated position of the topographic object and in a vicinity thereof, into a shape whose height is gradually changed, depending on a distance from the designated position. The movable object controlling step, when the movable object contacts the topographic object, performs a physical calculation with respect to a contact surface based on the shape changed by the shape changing step, and based on a result of the calculation, controls movement of the movable object.
In a second exemplary embodiment based on the first exemplary embodiment, the shape changing step includes determining a height of the designated position to be a predetermined height, and changing a surrounding shape into a shape whose vertical difference from a surface of the topographic object before deformation gradually decreases with an increase in a distance from the designated position.
In a third exemplary embodiment based on the first exemplary embodiment, the game program further comprises an operation data obtaining step (S30) of obtaining first operation data or second operation data from the operation device. The shape changing step changes the heights of the topographic object at the designated position and in the vicinity thereof toward a first direction when the first operation data is obtained in the operation data obtaining step, and changes the heights of the topographic object at the designated position and in the vicinity thereof toward a second direction different from the first direction when the second operation data is obtained in the operation data obtaining step.
In a fourth exemplary embodiment based on the first exemplary embodiment, the game program further comprises a restoring step of restoring the shape of the topographic object deformed by the shape changing step into a shape before the deformation.
In a fifth exemplary embodiment based on the first exemplary embodiment, the topographic object is composed of a plurality of polygons. The shape changing step includes a distance calculating step (S37, S39), a change amount calculating step (S37, S39), and a changing step (S37, S39). The distance calculating step calculates a distance between the designated position of the topographic object and vertices of the plurality of polygons. The change amount calculating step calculates a change amount of a height of each of the vertices of the plurality of polygons. The changing step changes a position of each of the vertices of the plurality of polygons based on the change amount.
In a sixth exemplary embodiment based on the first exemplary embodiment, the game program further comprises a restoring step (S1) of restoring the shape of the topographic object deformed by the shape changing step into a shape before the deformation. The restoring step calculates a change amount of a height of each of the vertices of the plurality of polygons so that the height approaches heights of vertices around the vertex.
In a seventh exemplary embodiment based on the fifth exemplary embodiment, the movable object controlling step includes a movement amount calculating step (S4, S8) of calculating a movement amount of the movable object by performing a physical calculation based on the change amount calculated by the change amount calculating step, and a moving step (S4, S8) of moving the movable object based on the movement amount.
In an eighth exemplary embodiment based on the fifth exemplary embodiment, the game program further comprises a normal vector calculating step (S8) and a gravity vector calculating step (S4). The normal vector calculating step calculates normal vectors of the plurality of polygons changed by the changing step. The gravity vector calculating step calculates a gravity vector pointing immediately downward in the virtual game space. The movable object controlling step includes a movement direction setting step of performing a physical calculation based on the normal vector and the gravity vector, thereby setting a movement direction of the movable object.
In a ninth exemplary embodiment based on the seventh or eighth exemplary embodiments, specific process information is set for a portion of the plurality of polygons. The game program further comprises a determining step and a movement information correcting step. The determining step determines whether or not the specific process information is set for a polygon which the movable object contacts. The movement information correcting step, when it is determined in the determining step that the specific process information is set, corrects at least one of the movement amount calculated by the movement amount calculating step and the movement direction calculated by the movement direction setting step. The moving step moves the movable object based on the at least one of the movement amount and the movement direction corrected by the movement information correcting step.
In a tenth exemplary embodiment based on the first exemplary embodiment, the game executed by the game program is a ball game in which the movable object is a ball, and the ball is moved toward a target enclosed by a target frame, and a point is gained by putting the ball into the target frame. An operation of moving the ball toward the target frame is an operation of causing an object to be operated to perform shooting.
An eleventh exemplary embodiment is directed to a game system comprising a display device (2), an operation device (7), a designated position detecting section (10), a shape changing section (10), and a movable object controlling section (10). The display device displays a game image in which a topographic object and a movable object are provided in a virtual game space. The designated position detecting section detects a designated position of the topographic object designated by the operation device. The shape changing section changes a shape of topography at the detected designated position of the topographic object and in a vicinity thereof, into a shape whose height is gradually changed, depending on a distance from the designated position. The movable object controlling section, when the movable object contacts the topographic object, performs a physical calculation with respect to a contact surface based on the shape changed by the shape changing step, and based on a result of the calculation, controls movement of the movable object.
A twelfth exemplary embodiment is directed to a game apparatus to which a display device (2) and an operation device (7) are connected, wherein a game image in which a topographic object and a movable object are provided in a virtual game space is displayed on a screen of the display device. The game apparatus comprises a designated position detecting section (10), a shape changing section (10), and a movable object controlling section (10). The designated position detecting section detects a designated position of the topographic object designated by the operation device. The shape changing section changes a shape of topography at the detected designated position of the topographic object and in a vicinity thereof, into a shape whose height is gradually changed, depending on a distance from the designated position. The movable object controlling section, when the movable object contacts the topographic object, performs a physical calculation with respect to a contact surface based on the shape changed by the shape changing step, and based on a result of the calculation, controls movement of the movable object.
According to the first exemplary embodiment, a movable object can be indirectly operated by deforming a topographic object according to a user's intention. Therefore, it is possible to provide a game having a novel sense of operation.
According to the second exemplary embodiment, a convex or concave can be formed around a designated position as a center on topography. Thereby, it is possible to provide a game having a novel sense of operation, i.e., movement of a movable object using the convex and concave.
According to the third exemplary embodiment, a player can select a deformation direction of topography. Thereby, the variety of strategies of a game can be increased, resulting in a more interesting game.
According to the fourth exemplary embodiment, it is possible to restore deformed topography. Thereby, it can be expressed that the deformed topography is gradually made flat.
According to the fifth exemplary embodiment, deformation of topography composed of polygons is processed by computation with respect to vertices of the polygon. Therefore, a change in the shape of topography can be expressed in a more realistic manner.
According to the sixth exemplary embodiment, it is possible to perform computation based on the heights of vertices of surrounding polygons. Therefore, it can be expressed that topography is gradually made fat.
According to the seventh exemplary embodiment, a physical calculation is performed based on a change amount of a polygon of a topographic object. Therefore, it can be more naturally expressed that a movable object is moved, by the shape of topography being changed.
According to the eighth exemplary embodiment, a movement direction of a movable object is determined based on a normal vector and a gravity vector of a polygon of deformed topography. Therefore, it can be more naturally expressed that a movable object is moved in various directions, depending on a change in topography.
According to the ninth exemplary embodiment, when a movable object is located at a predetermined position, it is possible to cause the movable object to perform a specific movement.
According to the tenth exemplary embodiment, a ball game can be made more exciting.
According to the eleventh and twelfth exemplary embodiments, an effect similar to that of the first exemplary embodiment can be obtained.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of these certain exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.